THEY THOUGHT….

Poor Hadiya. Poor young girl with so much potential… poor friends who huddled with her in the park just for shelter.

Mourn the reasoning for “gang turf” and “gang territory” that the news folks make so much out of in Chicago reporting these days. We certainly don’t need the mass media touting that at every turn, that “crossing gang lines” that only gives the gangs more attention and more focus. Mourn that those youth were in “the wrong place at the wrong time”.

And now on News Radio 780 WBBM we have Police Superintendent McCarthy of the CPD coming on and telling us that the young men arrested and charged with the murder of that aspiring and wonderful angelic young lady thought they were encountering members of a rival gang and so opened fire without another thought on the group, killing Hadiya. He says they thought they were seeing other gang members.

They thought. THEY THOUGHT? What in the world does he mean “THEY THOUGHT”? They thought, nothing. My five feet “they thought”.

THEY THOUGHT? IDIOTS! BULLIES! THUGS! DAMNABLE FOOLS!

Had they been thinking, well first they would not have been out there with those guns firing wildly into a group of kids just huddling in a park. Mistaken identity… some thinking they did. They thought, eh? They did no such thing, they were NOT thinking of anything but doing WHAT THEY WANTED.

That’s the way with such people, they do what they want with no consideration for others. And one of them should not even have been out on the streets, much less in possession of a firearm with which to terrorize others. And it is terrorism, folks, it is homeland terrorism, this business of gangs. They are homeland terrorists!

Some now say that the way to conquer this behavior begins with background checks. OH NO, FOLKS, not at all. It begins long before some sort of background check. It begins before someone can learn to spell “firearm” or learn what one is. If there are guns in the house, that should be part of what the parents teach the children, and it begins with being dutifully responsible for teaching that child what those instruments are for.

The way to a better society begins with everyone taking PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for their actions when they are of an age for normal, logical reasoning of right and wrong, good and bad, basic morals and actions and considerations and the principles of good citizenship. When someone is able to understand these aspects of living in a society then it is time to test what the child has learned in the way of being responsible for what he does and what he does to others, and learning how to act when someone does something to him.

When your child is of an age to understand that something will hurt someone else, or that “this is a good thing to do”, or that “you are not to use this unless it is for…”, then you start them out on the path to being a good citizen. You teach trustworthiness, accountability, honesty, respect for others, and in time, community service. That should be the goal of our education system in this nation.

They thought, hm. Well, our politicians are not doing much thinking either. They sure are doing a lot of talking and sitting around “looking into things”. But doing talking and sitting do not address the issues like ACTION does. We don’t have time for the politicians doing their thing to keep on wasting time and money and energy.

We have to act, we have to govern ourselves and our communities; we cannot wait for the elected officials to get busy on that. Government is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” So we as good citizens have to do the acting and the governing. You are not in control of the gangs – that is what the gang folks want you to think. But the gangs are nothing but cowards… they are armed cowards and they are bad, unfeeling, inconsiderate people, and that makes them dangerous. They are desperate for something, be it material gain, drugs, satisfying a habit attributable to greed or materialism or to get attention they otherwise miss somehow.

Gangs do not control you or me or us, they do not control the parks, schools, “neighborhoods”, street corners and stores. The upstanding people like Hadiya and her family and her nice friends are the ones who have the real control and who pay the taxes and who want to live and play in a better place. They want to learn and to work and to be good citizens; they do not want to be like those murderous thugs and fools who want to muscle in and terrorize others.

Do not stand for such behavior any longer. Come out of the woodwork, find out who these people are and what they are doing, what they want and why they are around. Move them out by force if you have to. Turn them in, SNITCH ALREADY! You might save a life.

Jobs, the economy, commerce, retail, the financial market, the service sector; all of these can be used to describe some aspect of our occupation with what we know as “work”. Of course doing work is just a matter of putting out effort for a purpose, a cause, the meeting of a goal. Work is the keelson of our nation, our real wealth in the matter of focusing action and the brain on disciplined activity in order to accomplish anything at all.

Now it is nothing the matter with someone coming from another country and wanting to work, to do something that Americans supposedly do not want to do. Our nation is built on foreign blood and on cultures and traditions and manners from all over the world. Still, there are American citizens, truly legitimately -born people within these borders who deserve every chance to get any kind of work before someone who is not a legal citizen has the chance to get the privileges that apply to honest to goodness American citizens.

As a word of caution and for the safety of women who are engaging in some risky behavior, beware of signs of “birthing houses” such as those recently discovered in California. There women come and they are paying thousands of dollars to have their babies in the United States. This presents health hazards for the mothers and the babies. SUppose something happened in transit from Asia or wherever the women are coming from. Can there be reliable help if something does go wrong? What if labor begins early, what if the baby has trouble, what if the mother has some kind of condition develop that required qualified medical help? Will it be there for them? And when they get to the birthing house, will there be qualified help for them if complications arise? Everyone who suspects there is a birthing house in their area should contact health departments and the law so that the place can be shut down, the women given proper help, and the need for birthing houses and those who run those schemes stopped immediately.

What do these women think that such a thing will do for family life? They might have their babies here but what about possible deportation and other problems? Some kind of family life that would be for those kids. They want to be citizens- come here and do it legitimately, and quit saddling true -born Americans with your problems, taxes, money issues, health and education issues and other situations. Not happy here- well go back where you came. Want to be happy here- get legitimate citizenship and do your part like every good American citizen is supposed to do. You might not be lazy; you might be industrious and willing to work, but don’t demand your “rights”. Like we do, you have to EARN what you get if you care at all about duty and responsibility. What sort of example do you think that just sitting around and demanding what you want will set for your kids?

Americans are not lazy… well, some might be, but then laziness has various and sundry causes and reasons and the like. But there should be no work that is “below” us to do. People for centuries have done “manual” labor, toiling, tilling, sewing, knitting, hewing, chopping, mixing, boiling, walking the borders, trudging the frontiers, making maps, painting and drawing for a building plan. We would not be a nation if everyone was some lazy bum; there are people who do honest, hard work every day and who are proud of that fact.

Firefighters and first responders do their work diligently; in Chicago there have been enough incidents in the past few years to make that clear. Transportation -related people do their work in so many ways: drivers educators, bus drivers, airline pilots, ship captains, makers of the implements these people use daily, such as tower ladders, airplanes, busses, trucks, ocean liners, freighters, semis, train cars and cranes. Construction workers start and finish homes, offices, apartments, condominiums, warehouses, airport runways, fire stations and police stations. We certainly have no lack of hard workers, dedicated people who clock in and out every day and have the goal in mind. From the ground up these folks are on the front lines of commerce and industry.

What is it then that Americans do not want to do, and why would we not want to do them? No job can be considered unimportant so long as there is a niche for it, a need for it, or an obviously visible sign that “something needs to be done”. Do we have reasons for not wanting to go into the farms and fields and pick fruits and vegetables? We eat them after all, so why not contribute to going out and getting them, preparing them for the table, and serving them? Do more than just consume, in other words; make an effort to the whole picture.

If we do not want to be domestics in a household, why would we not want to be? Those with certain lifestyles might require the assistance of capable men and women to make their household run efficiently, especially if they travel a lot, have young children but also have very busy business schedules, or have a large home that needs maintenance. It takes the right kind of person to be a “domestic interior maintenance engineer”. Not everyone can be a nanny, a maid or butler or chauffeur or gardener or good cook for a big household or one with heavy business or travel responsibilities. Caring for others is special; care giving is a big industry and should be supported.

Where does that leave those who beg on the streets for money and carry signs saying they will “work for food”? Laziness is it, or something else? Are they disabled, otherwise challenged, debilitated, or is it really laziness? Some of the guys I see around look perfectly capable of picking up tools and cleaning a park, a vacant lot, or a public pool. But do they find it easier to stand or sit on the streets and shake cups of coins? What do they with the money they get? Well if they are really hungry offer to buy them food; if they are not, forget about it and give your charity to someone who really wants it and will accept it gratefully.

Now if you are in a position to give people jobs, you can offer some of these people work. Talk to them respectfully, buy them a meal, offer them work and describe the terms. Sit down with them and listen to them and what they need. All they might need to cease their begging is someone to listen and to help them over a tough obstacle such as losing a job, a home, or a means of transportation. Listening is such a great tool for networking, and we can all slow down and listen to someone’s story.

What are you willing to do to make this nation better? Are you going to pick up a broom and dustpan, a rake, shovel, pickaxe, trash bags, gloves, a blower, a trowel, a hoe, something to plant a rosebush with? How will you make your community a better place to live and work and play?

I learned an important lesson this month, regarding the virtue of patience. In this modern world where people expect things to be done properly and in order and in the right chain of command without missed signals and in perfect timing and sequence, stresses happen when the opposites of those things happen.When a chain of command is not properly followed for instance, the vibrations of it, once out in the business’s or company pipeline, can cause real trouble for everybody involved, including the whistle-blower or someone who reports an incident or problem. People can miss signals all the time, and when a company is very busy with many projects of major importance, for instance, some things get dropped from immediate view or are minor enough that they can wait till the more complex projects are finished. Besides, waiting for a few cents is not worth wasting a perfectly good friendship over- the money is not important and can wait.

That’s why there are chains of command- so that situations can be handled smoothly. People at every level know and can do certain things, and if they cannot do them, they find out who can, send the matter up the ladder, and then it is appropriately handled. I didn’t remember that as deeply as I should have, but fortunately the situation can be and has since been taken care of.

An episode of Gomer Pyle USMC explored the chain of command in a funny but attentive manner. Pyle refused one day to take his pay because Carter said he hadn’t worked hard enough. So when he returned money to the paymaster it started a series of events that took the matter clear up to the Pentagon. With each change of scene the officers involved showed a rise in the ranks, from the lieutenant who handled the initial pay-out and the return of the money, to, as I recall, a captain, a major, and finally a general in Washington. The general reviewed the papers and, guess what, sent it back down the line to the lieutenant who took the money so he could have the sergeant return it to Pyle. And then it was expected that once Pyle signed the receipt the paperwork would be returned to Washignton, as the general asked for a signed receipt. Of course Pyle in his usual way argued that he did not deserve the money and could not take it, but he solved the problem by offering to work extra hours to earn it back- remembering it was due to his habit of goofing off that got the whole mess started.

In this episode also observe that in following proper military courtesy, which when closely seen is basic courtesy put on a professional level with the expectation that the rules and standards will be followed to gain success in the organization, note that Pyle does not just get up and say, “I think I’ll just mosey on up to see General Wells and ask him what he thinks.” He waits for the general to ask him in to talk over the situation and THEN General Wells, once he knows the facts and the parties in the matter, summons Carter and informs him of the command decision. It is as the parable of the banquet guest in the Bible– you do not take the high place first. If you do, the guest who is supposed to take that seat might arrive and you would be asked to step down, perhaps to the lowest place. No, what the right thing to do is take the lowest place and wait for your host to notice and then ask you, as a signal mark of honor and appreciation, to move up, maybe even to the high place. It is better then to take that low seat and wait, just being patient, until those higher in the chain of honor or command ask you to sit with or talk with them. They come to you- the lower rank salutes the higher rank and then the salute is returned, see? It is not logical for the higher ranking official to salute the private first.

“The love of money is the root of all evil” and “Pride goeth before a fall”.- simple paraphrased proverbs and good to remember. Don’t let the heat of the day or the rush of a surprise incident heat your temper or drive you to the depths of emotional, physical, or intellectual temptation. Someone is above and below you; someone is smarter or not as advanced as you; someone is there to solve problems where you cannot. It is beneficial to learn to wait and ponder and think and be patient in this atmosphere of rush here and rush there, apps for this and apps for that, instant high-speed connections (that when broken lead to a lot of frustration), hurry up, go here and go there. A cab driver said it well when he remarked, “You hurry up to slow down.”

Others have problems and frustrations and tasks too, and when you do not remember that, then it is a sign of arrogance and pride and those are sins that must be remedied. It takes courage to atone, to come before those that are in trouble or that you have brought troubles to, sit down and talk it over, giving civil words and reasonable explanations and… you can only hope and pray they will listen and that you also will have the PATIENCE to hear them out too. You might find that they share similar likes, dislikes, frustrations, hardships, cares and concerns that you do, that you have more in common with them than at first you suspected.

Thankfully, one of the managers gave me an excellent solution to reacting too quickly to problems or something one intends to submit or mail to anyone, no matter their position in life. The lesson was also positively re-enforced by a good friend, in the way we have talked about certain problems along the way. The lessons are there- in others’ actions, reactions, in their ways to deal with frustration and in what they can teach you. (Think of parliamentary procedure too- in this set of standards is a fine example for proper behavior and learning to interact with others in a civil manner.)

When writing something, our manager suggested, and especially electronically, take time to think about what you are writing and BE CAREFUL to not send or mail it immediately. Print it out, or save it as a draft and set it aside. Take time away from the rush and frustrations and problems of the incident or situation to cool the head and the temper before working on that transmission. You might find that with patience, with just waiting a few days or hours to speak with the proper people, that the situation can be handled peacefully and that everyone involved can show their good side, can be understanding, can listen and act as mature people who respect you and who care about the situation, especially when keeping the reputation of a business good and on the level. Sure, people misinterpret or write trashy stuff or items in poor judgment all the time, but that does not mean it has to be sent all over the world or shown around for an item of gossip or making trouble. Set it aside, take the time to consider possible consequences- THINK ABOUT IT LONG AND HARD. Pray about it- you might realize you do not need to or even want to send the letter after all. And by then, the person to whom you should make proper contact might be back and then you can sit down and discuss the situation.

So I want to thank “S” and “L” and “R” for taking some of their busy days to speak with me, give me the good advice, and point me in the right direction. There is always room for improvement, and for that apt phrase I thank “T”.

Above all, thank God for allowing the situation to pass with relative ease and civility, and for being there in everything. Thanks Lord for all the provision, the life, the lessons, the strength, and the intellect to see these things through. Thank you my Lord, my God, and my All.

What was missing from my dull Christian life? Something sure seemed to be missing, not completely “there”, or seriously fragmented, that’s certain. But what was it? Where were the short circuits? What was going wrong?

I realized I was missing a crucial piece of the worship puzzle: the attitude of gratitude. Feeling low and not whole as I have been these past weeks since getting out of the hospital, I suspected it was not a physical problem, as in the meaning of something in the literal body. There was no excessive pain, nothing that would make me scurry off to the ER or the doctor. Loss of sleep seemed a normal thing after a traumatic event, but was it the best thing to actually sleep after such a serious happening?

I heard recently that sleeping was not always best after a traumatic event, but isn’t that what people want to do- escape into a soft, restful haven most of the time after something bad happens? Sure the bedroom can be made into such a place, of softness, rest, quiet, darkness, and silence, but living in a large city it is a challenge to truly find places that are really quiet and dark. Twenty-four hour traffic, repsonses from the fire and police departments, and light from buildings makes it difficult to give a living space a restful feeling.

Still there are ways to overcome feelings of sadness, depression and loneliness without using drugs or going to the asylum or to the shrink. I realized that on considering my recent feelings about Christianity, thinking about it as a legal system of rules and regulations and ceremonies versus considering it as a communal gathering, a way of worship and of joining with others, of forgetting self and thinking in what I have come to know as the mission control way.